NASCAR Legend David Pearson- The Thinking Man’s Racer

“Checker or wreck’er.” It’s a familiar refrain around the race track- more so prevalent during the early years of racing. Curtis Turner bore the nickname “Pops”- not because of any connection to Geritol or AARP- but because he’d “pop” you if you were in the way. Legendary ex-moonshiner Junior Johnson was another racer known for running his car up front as soon as he could get there, and if he dinged himself up a bit, so be it. While Glenn “Fireball” Roberts had a certain professional persona about him, 1961 Daytona 500 winner Marvin Panch was quick to point out, Roberts wasn’t necessarily known for equipment care.

There comes from the early years of NASCAR a different breed of cat. Though his career spanned the 60s, the 70s, and the 80s, he never really ran but a handful of seasons full time. In fact, from his first Cup race in 1960 until his final start in 1986, David Gene Pearson appeared for the green flag start 574 times. He made the most of them though, as Pearson got to the checkered flag first for 105 career wins- the second most all-time behind Richard Petty. His winning percentage of 18.26 percent puts him 3rd all-time behind NASCAR pioneers Tim Flock and Herb Thomas.

It’s not hard to understand why “The Silver Fox” was so efficient. According to an account in NASCAR Essential by Jim Mc Laurin, tests were run on drivers to see how their bodies reacted to stressful situations on the track, readily abundant in a 4-wheeled rocket traveling at speeds of 180-200 miles per hour. Scientists found that under stress, Pearson’s heart rate actually went down!Team owner Leonard Wood, who saw plenty of Pearson driving his #21 from 1972 to 1979, said David Pearson was “a natural.” Wood said Pearson was one of those drivers who had the magic touch, that instinct for making the right move at the right time. Pearson’s greatest rival, no less than 7-time champion Richard Petty said that he’d raced ‘em all, the greatest he raced against was the native of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The battles these two waged were the stuff of legend. Take the 1976 Daytona 500. You can talk about the great fight between the Allison’s and Cale Yarborough in ‘79, you can have your drag race between Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin in 2007, but the battle between Petty and Pearson may be the fiercest fight to the finish of them all. The two collided on the final lap and spun wildly. Pearson had the presence of mind to keep the car running while Petty sat stuck in the grass, crossing the start/finish at a speed of 30 miles per hour. In the 1974 Firecracker 400, Pearson came out of the gas and his car appeared to dying when he let Petty pass. Once “the King” got by him, Pearson “sling-shotted” his way to victory lane.

For as long as he ran, Pearson only made more than 25 starts 5 times. The season he did, he won 3 championships for his troubles in 1966, ‘68 and’69- once for Cotton Owens and twice in a Ford for Holman- Moody. Here’s something that will blow your mind: in 1973 for the Wood Brothers- he won 11 of his 18 starts! He led the NASCAR Grand National Series in wins and earnings, but partially due to the limited schedule, finished 13th in the points the season Benny Parsons captured NASCAR glory.

pPearson’s resume was dotted with all kinds of impressive stats. His 113 poles ranks second to Petty, but once again (not taking anything from Petty), Pearson got his in about 600 fewer starts. 49 of Pearson’s wins came at speedways, 523 on short tracks and 4 at road courses- further cementing as a “racer’s racer.”

Though he was cut more from the mold of letting his driving do the talking, Pearson has endeared himself enough to the fans that he won the “Most Popular Driver” award in 1979 and 1980 though his best days were behind him. It was because of fan support that Pearson’s Grand National career even got off the ground. According to a story by Consumer Guide, fans around Spartanburg who’d watched Pearson tear up the local tracks for seven years took up a collection to buy him a car. He wanted no part of it, but given all the sources it was coming from, there was no real way to return the money. Supporters raised $ 1,500- about half of what Pearson would need to buy a race car at the time. Remember- these were the days when you could buy a decent home in southern California for $7,000 and rent generally ran somewhere along the lines of $100 a month. The funds, plus money from the family bank account landed David Pearson his first ride- a 1959 Chevrolet from Jack Smith.

To South Carolina race fans we owe a debt of gratitude.

Another tribute to David Pearson’s driving ability was the fact he’d never been hospitalized or had broken a bone while driving during one the bloodiest eras in NASCAR history. During his era, Pearson had seen notables such as Joe Weatherly, Fireball Roberts and Tiny Lund to name a few, lose their lives while turning laps on the race track.

When you see fans today roll out their “Greatest Drivers” lists- you see Dale Earnhardt at the top and rightly so for his 7 titles and impact on the sport. Others point to Richard Petty with his 7 championships, sheer dominance and 200 career wins. Others will point to Jeff Gordon and his 4 titles. Trying to objectively come up with a clear-cut all-time great, kind of like trying to debate who’s the prettiest girl or who the best home run hitter of all time was. Everyone’s got an opinion and most of them are valid.

One thing’s for sure though, there are other greats to go with David Pearson, but there’s never been another one quite like the Silver Fox.